Susan E. Brown, PhD, is a medical anthropologist, a New York State Certified Nutritionist, and the author of Better Bones, Better Body — the first comprehensive look at natural bone health. She has more than 40 years of experience in clinical nutrition, bone health research, and lay and health professional education. She has consulted widely on socioeconomic, cultural, educational, and health issues. Dr. Brown has taught in North and South American universities and authored numerous academic and popular articles. For more information, see Dr. Brown’s biography. Dr. Brown is a regular contributor to Women’s Health Network where she writes about bone health.
Dr. Brown first became interested in bone health when she lost her grandmother, at the age of 102, to complications from a hip fracture. Dr. Brown couldn’t help wondering, how much longer might this alert and active woman have lived had she not fractured her hip? Her interest grew into a compulsion as she sought to understand why the disease existed and what we could do about it.
As an anthropologist using a cross-cultural perspective, Dr. Brown discovered that the nature of osteoporosis is very different than commonly believed. She found that cultures with the highest calcium intake also have the highest osteoporosis rates, despite conventional wisdom that calcium levels dictate bone health. Dr. Brown’s research found that though people in many countries have lower bone density than we do in the United States, their fracture rates are significantly lower. Her research led her to a startling conclusion: the disease of osteoporosis is a preventable disorder created by our lifestyles and eating habits.
Dr. Brown’s “rethinking” has led to Better Bones, Better Body — a comprehensive, whole-body approach to bone health that reaches beyond the estrogen and calcium myths to truly support healthy bone growth and regeneration through nutrition and lifestyle.
Through more than 20 years of research, Dr. Brown has learned that our bones need a variety of nutrients in addition to calcium to repair themselves, and that the body needs to maintain a balanced pH to prevent further loss of bone.
There is a Better Way, a way that will not only naturally improve your bone health, but also naturally improve the health of your entire body. We call this “Better Way,” The Better Bones Revolution.
The Better Bones Revolution will give every woman the knowledge and tools she needs to enjoy strong bones for life, naturally. Read the Better Bones Revolution Manifesto here.
Dr. Brown has devoted her career to exploring promising nutritional and lifestyle bone-building therapies, educating the public about these therapies, as well as working one-on-one with patients from around the world. Osteoporosis is not inevitable, and it is never too late to support and rebuild bone naturally.
Susan E. Brown, PhD conducts consultations at the Center for Better Bones in East Syracuse, New York, and via telephone with patients world-wide. Dr. Brown will assist you in estimating your real risk of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture, help you understand your bone-health-related test results, determine whether further assessments are needed by your physician to detect any underlying medical or biochemical causes of your bone loss, estimate your current rate of bone loss, and work with you to create a personalized lifestyle, diet, and supplement plan to support healthy bone growth, bone regeneration, and overall wellness. For more information see our page on consultations.
In 2008, Dr. Brown partnered with Women’s Health Network to develop a comprehensive approach to women’s bone health concerns.
This regimen is designed to help you harness your body’s healing power naturally at home. Based on the clinical experience at the Center for Better Bones and the research conducted by the Better Bones Foundation, the approach uses Dr. Brown’s latest thinking about the four pillars of bone health:
To learn more, or to try Dr. Brown’s approach for Better Bones, please visit our Store.
Dr. Susan E. Brown, PhD offers informative, motivational public lectures and retreats worldwide as well as continuing education courses for health professionals on a variety of topics, including natural menopause, the “Nutrition Detective”, geriatric fracture reduction, and Better Bones, Better Body.
At The Center for Better Bones we promote an all-natural approach to bone health using consultation and guided programs that include nutrition, diet, exercise, and lifestyle education.
If you have questions for Dr. Brown or want to schedule a consult, don’t hesitate to call The Center for Better Bones today toll-free at 1-877-207-0232. We’re here to listen and to help.
| PhD | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Anthropology (1972). |
| MA | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Anthropology (1969). |
| BA | Trinity College, Washington, DC. Spanish Literature and Latin American Studies (1967). |
| CCN | Clinical Nutritionist Certification Board, Dallas, Texas (1991) Certified Clinical Nutritionist, Certificate #158. |
| CNS | Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists, New York, NY (1995), Certificate # 00559. |
| NYS CN | New York State Department of Education Certification as Nutritionist,License # 001444, 1996. |
Native English Speaker. Bilingual in Spanish. Basic comprehension in Portuguese.
| 1984–present | Director, Nutrition Education and Consulting Service, Syracuse, NY |
| 1986–present | Director, Osteoporosis Education Project, Syracuse, NY |
| 2002–present | Research Associate, Anthropology Department, Syracuse University, NY |
| 2002–2005 | Clinical Nutritionist, Center for Integrative Medicine, Ithaca, NY |
| 1994–2002 | Nutrition Consultant and Physician Educator for Serammune Physicians Laboratory, Sterling, VA |
| 1999–2002 | Research Consultant, Technical Sourcing International, Missoula, MT |
| 2000–2002 | Nutrition and Research Consultant, LaneLabs, Allendale, NJ |
| 1994–1998 | Staff Nutrition Consultant for North Medical Center, Family Practice Associates, Liverpool, NY |
| 1993–1997 | Staff Nutritionist for James Patrei, MD, Syracuse, NY |
| 1990–1993 | Staff Nutritionist for Thomas Maher, MD, Auburn, NY |
| 1983 | Nutrition Consultant, Holistic Health Associates, Santa Barbara, CA |
| 1981–1982 | Staff Ethnologist, Human Environment Research, Santa Barbara, CA |
| 1980 | Applied Anthropology Research Consultant, Santa Barbara, CA |
| 1980 | Associate Anthropologist, Cultural Research Associates, Santa Barbara Indian Center, CA |
| 1979 | Staff Ethnographer, Aspira of America, Reston, VA |
| 1975–1976 | Fulbright Lecturer, Universidad de Los Andes, and La Javeriana University, Bogota, Columbia, South America |
| 1974–1978 | Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA |
| 1972–1974 | Lecturer/Research Associate and Post-Doctoral Fellow for Center for Urban Ethnography, University of Pennsylvania, at the Department of Anthropology, Boston University, Boston, MA |
An applied anthropologist, Dr. Brown has consulted widely on socioeconomic, cultural, educational, and health issues; authored numerous academic and popular articles; and taught in major North and South American universities. Since 1980 Dr. Brown has specialized in medical anthropology, conducting extensive research on cross-cultural nutritional and medical practices. Over the past 20 years, she has studied the clinical application of nutrition and, in 1991, was certified as a clinical nutritionist by the Clinical Nutritionist Certification Board, Dallas, Texas. In 1995, she was further certified as a Certified Nutrition Specialist by the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists, New York, NY. In January 1996, Dr. Brown was among the first nutritionists to become certified by the State of New York. Additionally, Dr. Brown has served on the Scientific Council of the Clinical Nutrition Certification Board since its inception nearly a decade ago. Presently, she combines medical anthropology with nutrition research, education, consulting and clinical practice.
Currently Dr. Brown directs both the Nutrition Education and Consulting Service (NECS) and the Osteoporosis Education Project in Syracuse, New York. NECSprovides nutrition consulting, education, and research services for the Central New York area. The Osteoporosis Education Project is a nonprofit, public-interest research and education organization with the mission of exploring the human potential for bone-health regeneration. Within the Osteoporosis Education Project, Dr. Brown lectures widely on the topic and collaborates with various organizations to further research and education on osteoporosis. For example, in 1994 she served on the Osteoporosis Advisory Board for the Older Women’s League of Washington, DC. In 1996, she completed a comprehensive rethinking of the nature, causes, and best prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, the findings of which were summarized in her book, Better Bones, Better Body (Keats, 2000).
In 1999 she conducted primary and secondary research on ipriflavone as a bone-building agent in conjunction with Technical Sourcing International. In 2001 she was the principal investigator for a LaneLabs-sponsored study comparing the impact on bone resorption and iPTH of AAACa as compared to calcium citrate. In the fall of 2002, she began a yearlong clinical trial assessing the impact on bone resorption and bone-mineral density of a novel Brazilian sea algae, calcium, and shark-oil vitamin D formula (OsteoOrganiCAL). In early 2003 she began two new pilot clinical studies. The first assessed the impact of a traditional Chinese formula for improvement of aging, including bone-mineral loss, pain, mobility and nocturnal polyuria in women. The second study concerned the assessment of the impact on bone resorption of the new dietary supplement known as Cal-Vantage.
Complementing her work on bone health, Dr. Brown also coauthored a second trade book on natural approaches to menopausal well-being. This second book, The Mend Clinic Guide to Natural Medicine for Menopause and Beyond, was written with Dr. Paula Maas and Nancy Bruning (Dell, 1996). Her third book, The Acid–Alkaline Food Guide, was published by Square One Publisher in 2006.
In addition to her research, writing, and consulting activities, Dr. Brown is a well-recognized health motivational speaker. She provides lectures, seminars, and workshops for a wide range of corporate, professional, nonprofit, and public institutions.
Among Dr. Brown’s recent contract lectures and workshops are the following:
INSTITUTION & LOCATION | LECTURE/WORKSHOP TOPIC |
| American Neutraceutical Association, Long Beach, CA, March 2007 | Eight Keys for Preventing Osteoporosis and Building Bone Strength |
| American College of Nutrition Annual Conference, Reno, NV, October 2006 | Maintaining Bone Strength During Weight Loss |
| Florida Academy of Family Medicine, Orlando, FL, July 2006 | Better Bones, Better Body: Nonpharmacological Approaches to Osteoporosis |
| Building Bone Strength at Any Age, Duramed Futures Golf Tournament, Syracuse, NY, 2006, and Lafayette, LA, 2007 | Natural Bone Health Maintenance and Regeneration for All Ages |
| Integrative Medicine for Anti-Aging Conference, Las Vegas, 2005 | Advances in the Treatment and Reversal of Osteoporosis |
| Cayuga Medical Center, Ithaca, NY, 2005 | Nonpharmacological Approaches to Osteoporosis |
| Diversity and Women’s Health, Fort Lauderdale, FL | Three-Lecture Seminar focused on Women’s Health |
| I Congresso Nacional da Sociedade Brasileira de Osteoporose, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | A Novel Approach to Halting and Reversing Osteoporosis |
| University Women’s Club of Vancouver, BC | Reclaiming Natural Menopausal Well-Being and Better Bones, Better Body, Beyond Estrogen and Calcium |
| Paul Barry Health Seminars, Talk Radio, St. Paul, MN | Reclaiming Natural Menopausal Well-Being and Better Bones, Better Body, Beyond Estrogen and Calcium |
| Natural Food Association, Inc., Kerhonkson, NY | Acid–Alkaline Balance; Rethinking the Impact of Metabolic Acidosis |
| Global Business Research, Baltimore, MD | Functional Foods for Women’s Health |
| National Nutritional Foods Association, Las Vegas, NV | Rethinking Osteoporosis |
| New York State Medical Society, New York, NY | Beyond Calcium: Nutrition in Osteoporosis — New Power Nutrition for the 90’s |
| National Council on Women in Medicine, New York, NY | Nutritional Influences on Female Hormone Functioning |
| Cook County Hospital, Chicago, IL | Rethinking Osteoporosis |
| UK Press Conference News Editors, London | Ipriflavone: A New Flavonoid for Bone Health |
| Global Business Research, Functional Foods Conference, Baltimore, MD | Functional Foods and Bone Health |
| Primary Care Conference, Binghamton, NY | Anthropological Insights into Strategies for Improving Women’s Health |
| SUNY Upstate Medical School, Syracuse, NY | Nutritional Additions to Your Physical and Differential Diagnosis |
| Associations of Faculty, International and Clinical American Nutritionists, Dallas, TX | Women’s Longevity and the Pros and Cons of Estrogen Replacement Therapy |
Primary bone health research conducted
Continuing Medical Education (CME) lectures presented
Nutrition/health education
Socioeconomic impact assessment
Housing and domestic organization
Education and human services
Cultural resource management/environmental impact assessment
Survey and market assessment
Professional training programs
Nutrition and health education publications
Books
The Acid–Alkaline Food Guide. Square One Publishers, Garden City, NJ, 2006
Better Bones, Better Body: Beyond Estrogen and Calcium. Keats Publishing Inc., New Canaan, CT, 1996; 2nd edition, 2000.
The Mend Clinic Guide to Natural Medicine for Menopause and Beyond. Coauthored with Dr. Paula Maas and Nancy Bruning, Dell, 1996.
Chapter in medical textbook
“Bone Nutrition.” In Scientific Evidence for Musculoskeletal, Bariatric, and Sports Nutrition, ed. Ingrid Kohlstadt. Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL, 2006.
Magazine and journal articles
“Bone Health and Osteoporosis,” Food as Medicine Magazine, premiere issue, Fall 2005.
“Vitamin K and Bone Health,” Bone Health E-Newsletter, Sept–Oct. 2004.
“Is Acid Eating Your Bones?” Bone Health E-Newsletter, May 2005.
“The 19 Key Bone-Building Nutrients,” Bone Health E-Newsletter, June 2005.
“Protein and Bone Health,” Bone Health E-Newsletter, August 2005.
“Excessive Acidity May Aggravate Disorders – A Case Study – A Novel Therapy for Interstitial Cystitis.” Total Health, 25 (3), 2003: 22–23.
“Vitamin D: Startling New Research Findings on an Old Bone Builder.”Health Smart Today, May 2003: 90–94.
“A Pilot Study Comparing AAACa and Calcium Citrate Supplementation in Menopausal US Women.” Townsend Letter, Aug.–Sept. 2002: 110-14.
“First-Morning Urine Measured with pH Paper Strips Reflects Acid Excretion.” ASBMR Conference Abstract, San Antonio, 2002. Coauthored with Susan J. Whiting and Janet Bell.
“Preventing Osteoporosis: New Insights for the New Millennium.” Health Smart Today, Spring 2002: 55-57.
“Acid-Alkaline Balance and Its Effect on Bone Health.” International Journal of Integrative Medicine, Nov.–Dec. 2000: 7-15. Coauthored with Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD.
“Bone Builders: The Secrets of an Alkaline Diet.” Health Products Business, April 2000:18-20.
“Better Bones at Every Age.” Let’s Live, October 2000: 44-48.
“Love Unites Them and Hunger Separates Them: Poor Women in the Dominican Republic.” In Towards an Anthropology of Women, ed. Rayna Reiter. Monthly Review Press, New York, 1975
“Mercury: Playing With Poison.” Health Express, Dec. 1983:5-6
“Maybe It Was Something I Ate: The Headache-Nutrition Connection.”Holistic Health News, Fall 1985
“Nutrition Update.” A weekly question-and-answer column in the City Edition, Syracuse, NY, 1986 to 1990.
“Osteoporosis: Sorting Fact from Fallacy.” The Network News, The Publication of the National Women’s Health Network, July/August, 1988.
Better Bones, Better Body, Better Health: A Self-Help Workbook for Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis. Nutrition Education Consulting Service, Syracuse, NY.
The Nutrition Detective: Assessing and Maximizing Your Nutritional Fitness. Nutrition Education and Consulting Service, Syracuse, NY, 1994.
Socioeconomic impact assessment
“Forced Transition from Egalitarianism to Male Dominance: The Bari of Colombia.” Written with Elisa Buenaventura. In Women and Colonization, ed. Eleanor Leacock and Mona Etienne. Praeger, New York, 1980.
“Low Economic Sector Female Mating Patterns in the Dominican Republic: A Comparative Analysis.” In Women Cross-Culturally, Change and Challenge, ed. Ruby Leavitt, Mouton Publishers, The Hague, 1975.
“Coping with Poverty in the Dominican Republic: Women and Their Mates: A Field Report.”Current Anthropology, December 1973.
Education and human services
“The Impact of Court-Ordered Desegregation on Bilingual Education and the Hispanic Community.” Aspira of America, New York, 1979.
“Los Servicios Sociales de San Jose, Costa Rica.” Antropologia, Universidad de San Jose, 1967.
Housing and domestic organization
“Household Composition and Variation in a Rural Dominican Village.”Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 8 (2) 1978: 257-268. [Translated into Spanish in Eme Eme, 5 (3):28-44.]
“Women and Their Mates: Coping with Poverty in the Dominican Republic.”El Anuario de la Academia de Ciencias de la Republica Dominica, 2, 1978.
National Women’s Anthropology Caucus Newsletter, Editor, 1977–1978.
“Housing in Bogota: A Synthesis of Recent Research and Notes on Anthropological Contributions to the Study of Housing.” Urban Anthropology, Fall 1977.
“La Mujer Pobre en Santo Domingo.” Eme Eme, Santiago, Dominican Republic, 1(5):76-83, 1973.
Cultural resource management/environmental impact assessment
Old-World EIR. County of Santa Barbara, Human Environment Research Corporation. With Blum, Craig, and Sherwin, 1982.
“Protecting Native American Cultural Resources through the Environmental Review Process.”
The Red Earth Rumble, Santa Barbara Indian Center, February 1981.
M-X Cultural Resources Legal Requirements Analysis. Human Environment Research Corporation. With Craig, Doelle, Martin, and Mayro, 1981.
M-X Cultural Resources PMOA Management Plan. Human Environment Research Corporation. With Coombs, Craig, Doelle, Martin and Mayro, 1981.
Cultural Resources Overview for the Santa Barbara Regional Wastewater Reclamation Study. With Whitney, Grijalva, and Ringer. Cultural Resource Associates, 1980.
“The California Environmental Quality Act and the Role of the Ethnographer.” Invited paper for the Archaeology and Local Government Conference, Ventura, CA, 1980.
Requirement and Procedures for Assessing Ethnic Cultural Resources and Concerns in Compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. Santa Barbara, California: Santa Barbara County, Department of Environmental Review, 1980.
Survey and market assessment
The Hispanic Population of Cambridge: A Research Report. Cambridge: Cambridge City Hall and Cambridge City Council, 1973.
“Los Hispanos de Cambridge: Datos del Censo Nacional de 1970.” El Faro Mundo, Cambridge, 10: 14, 1972.
Nutrition/health education (public and contract classes not previously listed)
University courses
Professional in-service training courses
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Anthropological Association
American College of Nutrition
Council for Nutritional Anthropology
International and American Associations of Clinical Nutritionists
National Women’s Health Network
Sigma Xi
Society for Medical Anthropology
Society for Nutrition Education
American Society of Bone and Mineral Research
SELECTED AWARDS & GRANTS
1967–1968: Fulbright-Hays Graduate Student Award, Costa Rica
1974: Elected to Sigma-Xi
1975: Fulbright-Hays Professorship in Bogota, Colombia, S.A.
1976: Organization of American States (OAS) Research/Training Fellowship for Colombia
1975 & 1977: Boston University Graduate School Grant-in-aid of Faculty Research
1999: Grant for primary research on bone resorption and multinutrient supplementation (funded by Seraphim, Inc., Sterling, VA)
2000: Grant for the study of ipriflavone as a bone-building flavonoid (funded by Technical Sourcing International, Missoula, MT)
2001: Grant for the comparison of anti-resorptive effect of AAACa as compared with calcium citrate (funded by Lanelabs, Allendale, NJ)
2003: Unsung Heroine Special Award of Honor for Achievement as an Innovator in Women’s Health, awarded by National Organization for Women, Central New York Chapter
2004: American College of Nutrition Annual Convention, third-place award in the best scientific poster competition, Long Beach, CA
2004: Research grant from the Wallace Foundation in Aid of Development of Physician Education on Nutrition and Osteoporosis
References available on request.
At The Center for Better Bones we promote an all-natural approach to bone health using consultation and guided programs that include nutrition, diet, exercise, and lifestyle education.
If you have questions for Dr. Brown or want to schedule a consult, don’t hesitate to call The Center for Better Bones today toll-free at 1-877-207-0232. We’re here to listen and to help.